


The Ghost Of You

by shadowhive



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mentions of drug taking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 00:31:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17950157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowhive/pseuds/shadowhive
Summary: Ben muses about all the years he’s been watching his brother.





	The Ghost Of You

**Author's Note:**

> So this was actually the first fic I wrote for The Umbrella Academy. The day after I binged the series I had this in my head, so I decided to write it to get it out of my head. I dunno why I didn’t post it here, but I just remembered it and figured that I should.
> 
> It’s kinda sad and it ends just as the series starts.

One advantage to being part of The Umbrella Academy is that you knew that death was not the end. When you have a brother that can literally talk to the dead it gives you a sense of comfort.

That is, until death comes.

Ben Hargreeves watched as the Academy unravelled following his death, until the point where they finally parted, going their separate ways. Luther, losing his own body before being sent to the moon. Diego, trying to join the police before just becoming a vigilante. Allison, going on to become a famous movie star, using her powers to get ahead. Number five, still nowhere to be seen, lost to time. Vanya, going on to become a violinist as well as teaching others, before writing that book.

And then there was Klaus.

Ben watched as Klaus went completely off the rails. He drank, did drugs, doing whatever he could to suppress his powers. It worked and Ben wished that it wouldn’t. There were moments of lucidity, usually when Klaus was in rehab, that Ben used to reach him. He gave him encouragement, trying to keep his spirits up. They even read Vanya’s book together. 

Ben tried numerous times to try and help his brother stay sober and clean, but things would always become too much for him. It would overwhelm him and so Klaus drank and took drugs to block them out.

Or rather, block the others out. Over the years Ben found himself able to linger much longer than the others. Maybe it was his personal connection with Klaus, or Ben’s sheer force of will, he wasn’t sure. But he was glad, it got lonely when Klaus couldn’t see him and he didn’t want to leave him alone.

When he was alive they were always close. People found Klaus to be weird and unsettling, and the others didn’t take him seriously most of the time. As for Ben, people were scared of him, especially when they saw him use his powers in the field. It meant they found solace with each other, in more ways than one.

Ben remembered holding Klaus tight, rocking him after that night when Reginald had left him in that tomb for the night. What sort of person did that to someone, let alone their child? Ben hated him for it, had almost grabbed the man with one of his tentacles and thrown him out of one of the house’s many windows.

Ben remembered how they kissed a few nights later, curled up in Klaus’ bed while Reginald was on some business trip. A rare moment where the Academy were free to do what they pleased. Kissing led to touching and tasting. That night Ben had held Klaus close, his tentacles clutching him tightly.

A few years later, shortly before his death, it had led to more. If he hadn’t died perhaps they would have left together, became proper lovers. Perhaps it would have been enough to keep Klaus clean. Or maybe if he was still alive the Academy would still be together, the six of them inside that house between missions, having trysts in secret places.

There was no way of knowing now. He couldn’t change the past, as much as he might want to. Five had tried to travel through time and look what happened to him. He was lost, perhaps forever. Maybe he was dead. Ben had no way of knowing.

Now Ben was watching over Klaus again. He’d left rehab and immediately got ahold of some pills, until he ended up in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. It wasn’t the first time and now Ben wasn’t sure what he would prefer to happen. If Klaus died at least they would be together again.

Klaus gasped, rising from the stretcher, alive again. Ben smiled, grateful that he was still among the living. He was sure Klaus could still do good, could still help people if he just stayed clean...

The tv in the corner of the ambulance displayed breaking news and Ben’s eyes widened as the newsreader told them what had happened. 

Their father was dead.

Ben got a strange feeling. That somehow this would be the catalyst that would serve to clean Klaus up. He couldn’t place why he felt that, but he was as sure of it as sure as he knew he loved Klaus. Change was coming and he’d be here to help make sure it did


End file.
